More ferry trips: Washington State Ferries is restoring service to pre-pandemic levels on some ferry routes.
Heroes: Some postal workers in Washington are defying orders and restoring sorting machines to operational use.
Altering ecosystems: According to researchers at the University of Washington, racism and redlining has also hurt wildlife.
Conflicting choices: In California’s Colorado Desert, there is a struggle over renewable energy and endangered desert species and lands ($).
Revolving door: A historic property in Flushing, New York City has been mired in development proposal failures for more than 30 years and the latest may finally move ahead.
Go green: David Roberts from Vox explains how much worse pollution is than we thought and how ditching fossil fuels could be an economic boon.
Re-closures: What impacts are re-closures on businesses having on real estate?
Big payoff: A new study suggests that increasing e-bike adoption by 15% could reduce carbon emissions by 12% in Portland.
Active commutes: Many more government workers and planners hope to use an active transportation commute when things return to normal, according to a new report.
Polluter-in-Chief: The Trump administration has finalized a plan to auction off rights to drill within the heart of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge ($).
Busway delays: New York City is struggling to launch new busways due to local opposition.
Apartment construction slowdown?: In Denver, apartment construction was already slowing down in 2020 without the pandemic and is expected to drop by half; other major cities are slowdowns, too.
Missing middle: A large urban county in Virginia, Arlington, is researching the scope of existing missing middle housing in the county and its racial implications.
Off-road: Oregon’s state transportation department has a new grant program for off-road pedestrian and bike infrastructure.
Investors’ market: In Vancouver, British Columbia, major investors are going all in on the rental market, a trend occurring elsewhere in Canada.
Hard right turn: Angie Schmitt documents when America’s transportation department abandoned people who walk.
County assistance: King County is providing $41 million for rental assistance to stop evictions.
Essential workers: Data shows that nearly two-thirds of women are essential workers ($) in Puget Sound.
ACUs: Strong Towns highlights how “accessory commercial units” could benefit local neighborhoods with better access to small businesses.
Safe restart: The Seattle Public Library is reopening in a limited fashion for patrons.
Stephen is an urban planner with a passion for promoting sustainable, livable, and diverse cities. He advocates for smart policies, regulations, and implementation programs that enhance urban environments by committing to quality design, accommodating growth, providing a diversity of housing choices, and adequately providing public services. Stephen primarily writes about land use and transportation issues.
